This invention relates to radius rod or rocker arm bushes, and more particularly to bushes of this type used in vehicle suspensions.
Hitherto it has been the practice to bush a radius rod, for example, to a radius rod pin by means of a pair of oppositely arranged coned inner bushes of rubber firmly engaged and frictionally bonded in opposite ends of a correspondingly shaped aperture through an eye at an end of the radius rod, these bushes being firmly engaged and frictionally bonded on a pair of tapered tubular spacers, usually of cast iron, fitted, and clamped against rotation, on the radius rod pin, the outer ends of the inner bushes abutting against peripheral flanges about the middle parts of the spacers. Outwardly of these flanges, there are also fitted on the spacers a pair of outer bushes, also of rubber and inwardly tapered to fit closely and bond frictionally in correspondingly coned coaxial openings in a bracket on the vehicle chassis, the outer ends of the outer bushes abutting against end plates or flanges formed on or clamped to the spacers. The resilience of the inner and outer bushes permits a degree of oscillation of the radius rod relative to the fixed bracket without sliding friction. However, in cases where the vehicle suspension system is subjected to rough usage, the frictional bonds may be insufficient to prevent some relative movement between rubber bushes and metal parts. This causes very rapid wear of the bushes, which must therefore be replaced at frequent intervals, and at considerable expense.